Get a Competitive Advantage by Outsourcing App Development

Share

Competition in the tech space is only getting more heated. Surviving is no longer the chief concern; scaling and thriving is the goal. When you look at ways that you can outshine and outsell your competition, you may not have considered outsourcing app development — perhaps because of some common misconceptions. However, it could be one of the smartest competitive moves you make.

Why? For starters…

Getting to market faster.

Not tying up your in-house staff so they can focus on their core competencies.

Get your app to market faster

Do you currently have app projects that have been in limbo for months, or longer? At the start of the project, there was probably a lot of excitement about how the app would help users. Say you’re a retailer and have been working on a new app to enhance both the in-store and online experience for shoppers, but you’ve yet to make traction. You’re missing out on critical opportunities on a daily basis. Or maybe the app is for internal employees to track their time or accomplish with HR functions. In any case, the sense of urgency remains.

If your in-house team can’t get around to these projects because they are too busy with everyday tasks, or they’re lacking the necessary skills for certain aspects of app development, then it’s time to consider outsourcing. You can outsource to an agency, find individuals to help in a freelancer marketplace, or try crowdsourcing.

At Topcoder, we have the world’s largest talent network and crowdsourcing platform, which means more talented developers will work on your app. Crowdsourcing enables you to get work done on different pieces of your app simultaneously, which inherently gets you to market faster.

Let your in-house staff do what they do best… and outsource the rest

Your in-house dev team is busy. No matter what your business is, there is always the need for technology — better technology and more of it. Much of the time innovating with technology is a full-time job, giving your staff little time for extra projects. Plus, you probably hired your team because of their skill sets to meet specific business needs — not because they were full-time app developers.

When you outsource to expert developers, you can focus solely on creating apps that do the job you want them to — with an outstanding user experience and interface. These are things you can’t afford to get wrong in app design. If it’s not ready to use and makes the user’s life easier, they’ll be no adoption or usage. (Another reason not to push such a project on those who aren’t best suited for it.)

If you want your app to outperform the competition, it must be first-class in design and development. And when you crowdsourceapp design and development, you’ll get more than one option. So you can provide feedback throughout and choose what will resonate with your audience the best.

Pay for results, not hours or overhead

App development isn’t inexpensive, nor should it be. But there’s a line between cost-effective app development and cost-prohibitive app development. But how can you get the price that’s right for you? By paying for results, not freelancer hours or additional full-time hires.

Generally speaking, if you hire an agency to build your app, you’ll be charged for every minute of work — regardless of outcome. Hourly rates can eat up your budget quickly. You could save money by finding a developer in a freelancer marketplace. But it’s more of a gamble without a project manager by your side, resulting in quality control and communication issues.

With a crowdsourcing model like Topcoder’s, you’ll pay for winning deliverables you choose — not hours or however many developers work on the project. In the end, you’ll save when compared to most traditional and freelancer options. When you stick to your budget, you’ll be in good shape to fund other projects, delivering the sought-after competitive edge.

Choose the talent model that’s right for you

When making the decision whether to outsource app development, and how, you have lots of options. If you’re considering outsourcing your next app project, read our latest whitepaper on the different talent models and get the help you need comparing options. Then prepare for a better user experience, and fast.